Flowable substances, and liquids in particular, are often difficult to store for transportation, because they must be completely contained to avoid spilling. One method of storage is by use of a bulk container having an impermeable bag contained therein. It is desirable to use a single-use disposable bag to avoid contamination of the contents. This bag should be safely and compactly storable when not in use and able to be easily and quickly inserted into the container, filled, and drained. Use of a cardboard cartridge designed to hold and protect the bag and assist in filling the bag once inserted into the bulk container is a known means of accomplishing these goals.
However, prior art cartridges face several disadvantages. Many such cartridges do not fold up securely enough to adequately protect the bag inside. Additionally, such cartridges often are not compact enough to be easily handled, stored, and transported. Further, many prior art cartridges are severely limited in their ability to be adapted to fit different shapes of containers. For example, prior art containers that fold into a triangular shape face difficulty in use with a container that is any shape other than symmetrically square. Thus, a need exists in the art for a cartridge for use in filling a bulk container that folds up securely and compactly, while able to be used without undue time and effort, and which can be adapted for use with a large variety of differently-shaped bulk containers.
The present invention is provided to solve the problems discussed above and other problems, and to provide advantages and aspects not provided by prior cartridges of this type. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.